I mostly cover prosecutorial, judicial, and police misconduct and the demise of the Rule of Law in the USA, with an occasional musical interlude.
Let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amos 5:24 (ESV)

Monday, May 17, 2010

Eric Echols: Another Victim of the LMJC Prosecutorial Machine

[Update, Monday May 17, 3:55 PM]: Kevin West of WGOW has a very good blog post on Buzz Franklin's recent pronouncement that the media and the bloggers deprived his poor prosecutors of a "fair trial."

A source whose family member was a juror tells me it was clear to the panel from Day 1 that the judge and prosecution were working together on this case. It shocked that juror since, in that juror’s non-legal common sense mind, that juror believed the judge’s job was to ensure that both sides got to present their cases in as much detail as they were able and let the jury sort through the facts.

Both are excellent reads and come highly-recommended.

[End Update]

While a Catoosa County jury recently acquitted Tonya Craft of transparently false charges, there are other people in the LMJC who either await trial on false charges or have been convicted of such. One of those victims is Eric Echols, and his story demonstrates just how lawless the prosecutors in Buzz Franklin's office have become. (I have been informed that it is the LMJC, C for circuit.)

Mr. Echols, an African-American and former U.S. Marine, is a private investigator who is based in Atlanta. Ms. Craft's lawyers hired him to help investigate the charges against their client, as well as to deliver subpoenas in the civil child custody case involving Ms. Craft and her ex-husband, Joal Henke.

A capable man, Mr. Echols managed to record Jerry McDonald when McDonald said that he had serious doubts about the child molestation charges against Ms. Craft, and Mr. Echols had found out other things as well. While the laws regarding prosecutors say that they should be striving to find out the truth, the prosecutors of the LMJD believe otherwise, and anyone who finds the truth -- and, thus, stands in the way of the prosecutors -- must be destroyed.

Last year, Mr. Echols delivered a subpoena to Sandra Lamb as part of the Craft-Henke civil case. According to witnesses, Lamb threw the subpoena into the yard and then started calling Mr. Echols a "black bastard." (I incorrectly had claimed earlier that Lamb called Mr. Echols the N-word, but he corrected me on that point in a conversation I recently had with him.)

That was not all. As he got into his car to drive away, she stood in front of the vehicle so he could not leave, and then she went to his car. His window was open, and according to Mr. Echols, Lamb began to punch him. He drove to the Catoosa County sheriff's office to report the assault -- and was arrested later for "interfering with a witness" because he had interviewed McDonald. (The entire Lamb encounter, by the way, is recorded and Lamb cannot deny using a racial slur.)

Now, one must understand that it is legal to serve subpoenas, but in the LMJD, Franklin's prosecutors make up the law as they go along. Furthermore, the arrest of Mr. Echols took him out of the investigative loop, as it was obvious he was finding material that would weaken the prosecutors' case.

At present time, Mr. Echols is slated to be tried in September, and if convicted, he would face up to five years in prison. Anyone who knows the law knows these charges are contrived, and they smack of what Michael Nifong tried to do four years ago after it became known that Moez Elmostafa, a cabbie in Durham, North Carolina, had picked up Reade Seligmann at the very time that Nifong claimed Reade was raping Crystal Mangum. Nifong contrived charges against Elmostafa, but the African immigrant stood his ground and ultimately was acquitted of criminal charges.

Prosecutors who would do such a thing are people who will stop at nothing to get a conviction. This goes against every law and every ethical code in the State of Georgia, but so far Franklin, Chris Arnt, and Len Gregor have been allowed to run wild, smashing the law as they go.

One might remember that Gregor, in his cross-examination of Ms. Craft, accused her of having a sexual affair with Mr. Echols. His proof? She had met him in a hotel room and the room, Gregor astutely observed, has A BED. Thus, according to Gregor's twisted logic, if one is in the room with someone else and the room has a bed in it, then the people automatically have a sexual encounter. (The possibilities are endless, but I prefer not to go there.)

Furthermore, because Mr. Echols is African-American, Gregor was trying to play a racial angle to inflame jurors by claiming Ms. Craft was SLEEPING WITH A BLACK MAN. This is something one might expect from a Scottsboro Boys Trial prosecutor, not someone in the year 2010, but there it is.

(Gregor's theory had one huge whole in it. Mr. Echols' wife also is a PI, and given her skills, she would have found out about such a tryst and then the prosecution by Facebook and The Man would have been the least of Mr. Echols' problems. Mr. Echols might be aggressive as a PI, but he is not stupid.)

So, while Ms. Craft is free, nonetheless the work goes on because Buzz Franklin's office cares only about convictions and his ADAs will tell any lie necessary to "win." Thus, while Franklin might brag about his "98-percent conviction rate," it is obvious to a lot of us that such a rate is obtained only because the "win at all costs" mentality that governs the LMJD has been permitted to go on unabated. No more.

133 comments:

Mr. Anderson, I might have missed it, but after the verdict you mentioned you were going to expose evidence the the prosecution didn't want anyone to know about. Have you had time to do this yet? I am very interested (well maybe flabbergasted) in the misconduct of this case. Thank you for all of your insight in this case.

The Hick Triumvirate needs to start working on a time machine. 1930 is getting farther and farther away. Thank you, Mr. Anderson. I'm sure we will see more and more people pop up who have been railroaded in the LMJD. I think the rest of the state is starting to take notice of the fiefdom up in those parts. I pray that the legal community and voters work to end this debacle, for the sake of our country and the rule of law.

Mr Anderson, you refer to the twisted logic used by Goering, AKA Gregor, to accuse Ms Craft of sleeping with the guy because of there being a bed in the hotel room. I suggest that all future references to this kind of logic be referred to as "Thong Logic." I'm on a campaign to coin this term. I'll gladly give you full credit for that, but I really want people to call this kind of illogical jump in logic "Thong Logic," and for it to enter our lexicon as an enduring tribute to the sheer arrogance coupled with stupidity that we have seen in this case.

On another note, since she's white and he's black, why aren't they charging her with a hate crime?

Yeah, I was quite shocked when I saw this story on Channel Slime. Maybe they're trying to reach out and show they're not THAT slimy.

Well, considering how they're treating the case of the little child that just died while in a babysitter's care, I'm thinking it's more of the same.

Guys, did anyone ever figure out if there's a person connected with the Lambs or Wilsons named Charles L or Wade? He's still posting comments on badbadteachers that are outrageous and even a bit scary. The guy's still pretty much calling on people to lynch Tonya Craft, in the name of being a Republican conservative Christian.

I have been waiting for this post because I think this is a huge red flag in this case. Once again, I can't believe the persecution is so stupid that they don't drop this charge on this innocent man. I hope the community will rally support around him. I know if I lived there I would. I also hope that hate crime charges are made against Lamb. I don't believe that law is ethical (for a violent crime against anyone ought to be prosecuted equally regardless of race), but I can't think of a better person to suffer under it. Perhaps Mr. Echols ought to have his own press conference or interview with Channel 3...or is their a gag order on him too?

Lame - There will be no hate crime or assault charge against Sandra Lamb for the same reason Kellie McDonald is getting away with child abuse for beating her daughter with a belt for doing what comes naturally. They're special...uh, I mean...they're persecution witnesses. House, Franklin, Arnt, and Gregor can't terrorize these upstanding members of the community and maybe jeopardize their connection with those who have the money. About Charles L. and Wade. I've seen those posts on badbadteacher. Likely, this is one person and is either French Stewart or the preacher of Peavine Church. The rhetoric fits everything I've heard about both. BBT really needs to take down Tonya Craft's info. Free speech is one thing but promoting slander, which is what they're doing by leaving up that page, is quite another.Bill, if you hadn't ignited my passion to fight an unjust system with Tonya's story, you did with this observation. As I always say with a bit of awe in my voice, daddy was a Marine. Marine's hold a special place in my heart, be they current or former. Race has nothing to do with how I see a person. It's what's inside that counts. So far as I'm concerned, Eric Echols is on the side of the angels. My prayers now go to him in addition to Tonya, for their release from the insanity dropped upon this area by the District Attorney's office. The devil truly came down to Georgia and is now laughing wildly at how his minions are attempting to destroy good people. Although, I think Old Scratch is a bit miffed at how those men failed to destroy Tonya. And it's up to the good people of this area to stop those men from winning against Mr. Echols.

We still are putting that together, and it might be a while. I'm probably going to do more than one post, but at the present time, one of my researchers and I are trying to make sure that we get it right, so that when we post, there are no errors. Please be patient!

I cannot help but wonder if the poster to badteacher is someone being sarcastic. Few, if any, people I know actually believe the nonsense this guy is saying, and given that Arnt and Gregor and House are Republicans, well, we have seen what these "godly" men have done so far!

It's a given in today's day and age, that we have to see the extremes in all things in order to determine where a reasonable median is. The ordeal Tonya Craft has been put through is expecially horrible in that a hardworking woman has been treated like trash by a judicial system that asssumes she is trash, where in actually the judicial system we have is actually what needs trashing and redone. The HAG team, and the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit needs a thorough housecleaning to clear out the trash. Eric Echols, like Tonya Craft, faces loss of his ability to pursue his chosen profession due to the despicable behavior of Buzz Frankenstein and his cronies on the bench, the not so venerable judges of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit.

Mr. Anderson, take your time with your research; we want it to be accurate as well. I will be here waiting and I'm certain you will not disappoint.

****Buzzie's faxed statement produced a simply scathing response from not only Kevin West's blog, but on air this morning as well. For those out of the area, you may listen in online to this show at 102.3 WGOW. They have in the past discussed the trial at 7:10 every morning. I am not sure that they will continue to do so since the trial has wrapped up, however.They have been very forthright in their criticism of this trial. I don't doubt that they will keep all abreast of all details of any investigation, if one is initiated.

This is a repost, and I will repost until Mr. Anderson requests I stop. In order to achieve justice, citizen action is needed, and the only way to do it is by writing the appropriate authorities regularly and consistently.

As a citizen residing within the Lookout Mountain judicial Circuit, I am writing to see about the possibility of the Georgia State Attorney General's Office, and the U.S. DOJ Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee coordinating with the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia for investigating and prosecuting the official misconduct of the officers of the Court in the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, as being a pattern and practice to deprive the citizens of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit of their constitutional rights to fair trial. This pattern and practice extends not only within the criminal prosecutions conducted within the circuit, but civil actions as well, as all four Judges, Judge Wood, Judge Graham, Judge Van Pelt, and Judge House have destroyed so many families by their behaviors and practices. When is the law going to be FOR the people, and not the officers of the Court? For the purpose of Section 242, acts under "color of law" include acts not only done by federal, state, or local officials within the their lawful authority, but also acts done beyond the bounds of that official's lawful authority, if the acts are done while the official is purporting to or pretending to act in the performance of his/her official duties. Persons acting under color of law within the meaning of this statute include police officers, prisons guards and other law enforcement officials, as well as judges, care providers in public health facilities, and others who are acting as public officials. It is not necessary that the crime be motivated by animus toward the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin of the victim. Authorities: 18 U.S.C. SECTION 242 The Government must prove four elements to establish the offenses performed by the Defendants. First: The person upon whom the alleged acts were committed must have been an inhabitant of a state, district or territory of the United States. Second: The defendant must have been acting under color of law.Third: The conduct of the defendant must have deprived the victim of some right secured or protected by the Constitution of the United States. Fourth: The defendant must have acted willfully, that is, with a specific intent to violate the protected constitutional right.

I urge all of you to act promptly and diligently to see justice is served for the citizens of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit.

Sincerely, ________________________

Include your name and address below your signature.

This can be used as a form letter. Feel free to copy, paste and mail 3 letters. For less than two dollars you can make in investment that will help your family guarantee that no one suffers incompetence and corruption in the name of justice, like Tonya Craft has had to go through.

When I first saw Mr. Echols I thought him to be one of Tonya's attorneys. He is very put together, very professional, oh and extremely handsome (that one was for me...lol.) I say this because I believe they (LMJC & CCSO) thought that this gentlemen would walk softly into the night and never stand up for himself against our crooked, white as bread government. HA HA!

It saddens me that in this day and time, racial slurs and prejudice would run so rampant. I guess its no coincedence that Deliverance was filmed pretty close by..way to live that one down fellas, Thanks. NOT.

I can see it now..at the CAC fundraiser Friday night I am willing to bet Dweedle Dee and Dweedle Dumb were dueling banjos. Only appropriate!

Sadly, in Catoosa County and I hate to say this, but if you are black, you don't get any justice. We all need to take up Mr. Echols case now and support him, the way we did Tonya. Sandra Lamb, apparently has a lot of screws loose!!

I am a republican and a Christian and there is no one on this earth who is more disgusted with the acts of the LMJC than I am. I have supported Tonya from day one. It galls me that some red neck hater is posting a "call to arms" to others of his ilk under the guise of Republican/Christian. I can't be the only person who is furious at that idiot's comments on bbt.Btw, I do live in this area, although, thank God, not in Buzzards jurisdiction.

I plan on being at the courthouse for Eric Echols court date to support him. I will say this, do not be surprised if they continue his "trial" to a later date, which here, would be next spring. Our local government (and I use that term very loosely) has a habit of doing that. In Eric's case, they will be more than willing to do so as they know he will have to travel from Atlanta & they know the longer they wait for trial, the more work he misses out on. It is all very sad. Sandra Lamb should be punished for not only this act, but what she has done to Tonya & others. She will not be punished here, but I would love to see her in Hamilton County or in Chattanooga having a cocktail & then make a little phone call. Same goes for any of these psychos who think they own this community. House, Arnt, Gregor, Buzz have a lot of fun next time you go to the Elk's Lodge, please, have more fun than you can imagine. The eyes are on you now.

I would like to say something to any or all of the jurors who may be reading this now. Since Buzz, Arnt & Gregor have proclaimed you as idiots & stupid, many of us would like to say that we do not agree.

First of all, thank you for your service. You gave up a month of your lives & did the right thing. I do not believe any of you read or watched anything regarding this trial. Even if you had, you would have only seen things that happened in the courtroom in which you sat for 21 days.

Second, I believe you all did have Divine Intervention. That was my prayer everyday & every second of the day. You had to weed out the truth through many lies and outright character assasination, and you did that. The prosecution was hoping you were all that gullable, but you proved them wrong. With their interviews & the fax from Franklin, they tried to make it out that you all were just stupid, but you showed them just how intelligent you were. They like to think as themselves above everyone, but we all know the truth.

Third, as you have probably been able to see now, you made the absolute correct choice. These people abused OUR system & you all saw straight through that. For that, I commend you & greater than I, the Lord commends you.

During this trial, as I said, I prayed for Divine Intervention as I believed that Satan had control of the people presenting the case & the people who brought these false charges. I also prayed for God's protection over you and I hope that everyone is still or now will do that. No matter what the minority says, and believe me, it is a true minority, you did God's work. You will stay in my prayers as will Tonya & her family. You are strong people & deserve to feel safe & protected.

Thank you again for all of your diligence in this case & may the Lord bless you & keep you.

I have been wondering how they Nifonged Eric Echols. Now I Know.Friends I live in Chattanooga but I will give $$$$ to the opponents of the empire when election time comes around. Let's all do what we, the little people can do, to make sure the LMJD ring gets Broken UP. Shattered. Buzz (NotThatBuzz)

The rumors were that the persecution had a shill or two on the jury that would never vote for acquittal.

I live in Chattanooga, but the concept of justice and a fair trial are universal.

You jurors are all heroes. You saw through the lies, withheld evidence, and the unprofessional behavior of the persecution and it's witnesses. It has been evident to the world that they had no case.The world had more facts presented to us than you jurors, yet you all could see the truth.

The entire nation applauds you for your courage to fight the good ole boy system and render true justice.I'm sure after seeing this corruption first hand you will be at the front of the voting line to rid your county of these men of dishonor.

Yes Bill, I think that would be awesome. I have actually considered buying a full page in the Times Free Press & in the Catoosa County News to thank them. I hope they saw what I wrote earlier. I just feel we need to remind them that the majority of people, not only here, but worldwide, support them & are here for them. They did great & deserve to stand tall & not live in fear.

Thank you Bill for this blog on Mr. Echols. Anon 8:36 quote "In Eric's case, they will be more than willing to do so as they know he will have to travel from Atlanta & they know the longer they wait for trial, the more work he misses out on."Did he loose his job or is this charge something that keeps him from being able to do his work as a PI?

He is independently employed, but with this hanging over him, it makes it difficult to do his job.

10:56, Arnt & Gregor both said in their interviews that they are going forward with the case. One thing we should have learned from this is these guys will stop at nothing. It would be in their best interest to drop the charges, but we all know how that goes.

Thanks for the clarification on EE's job. I do not think the charges will be dropped either. This ring of corruption will not be stopped, they have proven that without a doubt. The only they will be stopped is by a higher authority or by voting them out. When is the next election for Judge and DA in Catoosa County?BTW, I live in Chattanooga, but will also give $ to keep these truly evil men out of office.

I agree with the earlier post. Why has the public not demanded to know why Sandra Lamb was not charged with assaulting Mr. Echols, especially if he has a recording of the incident. I want to see Arnt/Gregor/Franklin explain that one.

Not quite on the topic of Echols, but saw this on Drudge:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/17/AR2010051701283_pf.html

So, hypothetically, an innocent person could get accused of child molestation, end up in federal prison, and be held indefinitely beyond the prison term because they might be dangerous.

There should definitely be severe punishment for malicious witnesses who give false testimony in order to get the accused convicted of a crime they did not commit. Beyond that, I don't see how this Adam Walsh Act is in any way just.

I think the guy posting on bad teacher is a militia type you know the ones who are against abortion..then blow up the clinic.I to am a republican but your political party has nothing to do with a persons guilt or innocense. And furthermore I dont give a rats a** what your political affiliations are I only want to know the content of your character. And frankly speaking that my friends is something that is greatly lacking in the lmjd......p.s. Thank you jurors....you were our voice.

Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, saying Congress can only pass laws that deal with the federal powers listed in the Constitution.

Nothing in the Constitution "expressly delegates to Congress the power to enact a civil commitment regime for sexually dangerous persons, nor does any other provision in the Constitution vest Congress or the other branches of the federal government with such a power," Thomas said."

That could have provided Tonya with a lifetime sentence, thanks to those who put her in jeopardy of being convicted.

11:38 I agree! Why has the public let this go? Also , if it's true that Tonya was threatened, why has that not been addressed? Also, if the Henke step mother admitted the shaving ordeal why has that not been addressed? Personally, I see no harm in showering thm showering together...I always did my did my daughter...BUT never anytype of shaving that could be deemed as inapproriate!!! As far as the McDonald lady, I whip my children too, when they misbehave or are disrespectful. When things are done out of curosity, as I believe what happened here, I would never whip them...that calls for "a talk". Be open with your kids, how they feel, so forth...Now, just because I have used a belt DOES NOT mean I abuse my children! But, I do know that many DO abuse with a belt...so was she to that point??? Did she BEAT her dtr? or simply WHIP her? It's something that needs to found out!!!!Why has these things gone unnoticed? I know the focus is getting TC children back....but I think these things are important as well!

Thinking about this article while I was cleaning house and I want to add...I have slept with other women and I have slept with a black man.

At one school where I taught we would take our 6th graders to EPCOT at the end of the school year. In order to save money we would get a hotel room with two double beds. Three other female teachers and I would stay in the room and we would share the beds. So what! There was no sex but we sure did sleep together.

My older brother and I were best friends in middle school and high school with...ready? a black guy and his sister! Yeah, right here in TN. Anyway, another friend of ours was getting married in Texas and the four of us drove there. My brother and the other girl were 19 and the guy and I were 18. We all took turns driving. At one point he and I slept together in the backseat of the car. Again, so what! There was no sex involved.

It just amazes me how people can come to such odd conclusions about something innocent. Anyway, I just needed to vent. Since you all now know that I am an awful person you don't have to respond to me.LOL!

Although what happened to Mr. Echols has been mentioned before in passing, as more details are reported it gets even more suspicious. During the short time between leaving the Lamb's and arriving at the Sheriff's office, I'm guessing orders got issued. I sure would like to hear the phone call or calls that were made in that time period and know to who all they were made. Totally guessing, but I'll bet they weren't to 911 like any normal citizen would do if they had a problem, but instead were made to one or more select individuals who based on that call then arrested Mr. Echols.

The Lamds,Henkes,Mcdonalds,Wilsons & Boyds all should be in jail for what they did to Tonya & Mr.Echols.They were all working togerter,how else could Mr.Echols have been charged so quickly? Really what did he do that was so wrong?

If charges are brought against Sandra Lamb,we should all be at the jail looking at her & laughing the way she did to Tonya.I bet she will love being on the other end of the law.She deserves nothing less.

@Trish White, Thank You! Sometimes I just need to vent. I may not be the brightest bear in the woods, but I don't get poop in my fur when I potty. Some of those people just saw one or two things and made up a short story from "what they didn't know" about the situation.

I hope that Tonya, the children, and Mr. Echols are all doing well and can move beyond what has happened. I know that it will be difficult, but I think they will all see light at the end of their respective tunnels. Bobb

Was Sandra Lamb the person who was "laughing hysterically" at Tonya during one of her first court appearances? I had read somewhere that it occurred, but what I saw didn't say who actually did it. I can think of a lot of responses I might have if I truly believed my child had been molested and saw who I believed had done make an appearance in a courtroom, but that is not one of them. Anger, sadness, guilt yes - finding it funny in any way, shape, or form, absolutely not.

tplas, You may shower with your own child, but this is a step-child, not hers and she had no business taking a shower with a child not blood related. I understand about spankings, quiet frankly I think a lot of kids these days could use a good old fashioned spanking, but from what I gather, she went overboard and what is this child going to think about herself as she grows older? It was a time to teach, not react with severe punishment.

I never took showers with my parents. I can remember that I hated showers, because I could play in the bathwater, but not in the shower. So, until I was about 10 or so I only took baths. Even so, I remember bathing on my own from probably 4 onward. I had a parent in there with me until I was about 5, but mom was never in the tub with me. I have no problem with nudity or with a parent showering with a child. However, to shave private parts with the child even in the same room, or even with the door open with a child in the house is wrong. I don't even think it's appropriate to shave one's legs with the child around. And the new miss henke gave her step-daughter a razer? Blade or no blade it's not appropriate. That kind of early introduction to sexuality--hair growth in pubic areas and on legs is a sign of sexual maturity--is exactly what leads to 5 year olds touching themselves and others.

2:54, I completely agree! That's why I said even though I took showers with my dtr, shaving was NEVER even considered while she was in there with me! Matter of fact, I would not even shave my legs with her with me simply because...well you know!! ha!! Both feet stayed on the ground...period!!! And I also agree with the whipping! As my previous post said, in a case like that I would NEVER whip my children! I am not a "perfect" parent by no means, but I do know that something like that calls for something other than physical punishment!! Love, concern, security, and lessons needs to be shown for something of that nature. I was just stating a whipping is not a bad thing...most of the time, it's even in the scriptures!! If she went overboard... to beating her...then my original question was why has that been ignored?? Along with the shaving, the PI, the threating to TC...all of it!!And you are sooooo correct, our teenagers today have no idea what a good ole whipping feels like, but our society has brought all this on ourselves. We watch TV where the kids are rude, they do and say what they want, we have friends that brag about teachers not being allowed to whip them cause their mamma won't allow it, kids have no idea what the word "consequence" means, we have parents that want to be BF with their kids instead of the parent...and yes I want to be bf with my kids too...but not INSTEAD of...it's in addition too. Being the parent is my job 1st. So enough of my ranting about our teenagers in today's society! ha!! Sorry!! So my queston still remains...why have all these things in TC trial not been addressed????

Well, whether it does any good or not, I've emailed the Rainbow Push Coalition and Jesse Jackson, describing Mr. Echol's sitation and sending a link to this blog entry. I hope someone sits up and pays attention

The "friendship" among SL, KM, JH and MB will not last. They will soon start pointing fingers at one another. "You screwed up!" "No! You did!" "But, you said..." "No! He did!" "No! She did first!"...etc., etc.

Speaking of friendships, before long Buzzare Frankenstein, Aren't, Gregor, and Housie are going to be wondering who their friends are. Wanna bet Larry Stagg or some other attorney wants to be first in line to become the newest LMJC District Attorney or Judge?

Feeding frenzy, isn't that what sharks do when there's blood in the water? We've all heard some lawyers described as being sharks... they even act proud of it. Mighty predators they are, if living by rules of biological imperative rather than the codes of ethics they are supposedly bound by, being law professionals with a special regard for the public trust.

I love the term.It felt good to giggle again.Thanks Dan. It would be a great addition to the top of the blog home page.

There are a couple of points I would like to address.In regards to Mr. Echols. Perhaps he would have to file an assalt charge in a civil case against S. Lamb siting hate crime.I know it is very hard in these economic times, and it could be quite costly.As to her daughter. I reviewed the synopsis of the 2 movies she appeared in. THE LOST AND FOUND FAMILY she portrayed a foster child, and ONE MISSED CALL she portrayed a victim of child abuse. Perhaps the "boyfriend girlfriend game" is a term she heard on set. Even small children can be quite aware of the meanings in conversations had by adults thinking the material would be over the child's head. As to press release by Franklin. He is right that real child molesters will be harder to prosecute in the future. However,IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF THE VERDICT IN THIS CASE. If anyone is to blame for that it is the shoddy investigative practices by the LMJC. Like confessions being thrown out because they were so intent on bullying those confessions without waiting for proper legal council. (Case in point Micheal Delashmitt) What he is whining about is the fact that they will now have to work to get REAL evidence to prosecute those accused. No more "Because I said so". That trick won't work anymore.

P.S. Delashmitt case is from Athens, TN. not LMJCJune 2003 he was arrested, confessed and jailed for the rape and murder of his 14 month old daughterFeb 2007 His confession was thrown out as tainted. No attorney was present.

You guys, mark my words, Sandra is going to get in alot of trouble over this Echols situation. This is a politically correct world in which we live. There are times that this fact doesn't nessesarily please me, but when a human being it treated like trash, I thank God for the P.C. police. Dateline will no doubt touch on this altercation during their Tonya Craft report, and the Left Coast will see the South through the time warp in which Sandra resides. Can she not remember what happened to people like Jimmy the Greek and Imus (In the Morning)? These men lost everything over less than what she has done. She just doesn't comprehend the liability she has created for herself!! I am STUNNED at her naivety!!

After viewing the Callie Starnes piece and watching Arnt do double-time to avoid her, the reference to Franklin laughing at her question and Gregor deferring to a very poorly worded media release, I can only hope that Dr. Anderson and others keep the pedal to the metal.

These men were shameful in their actions and I believe they deserve to feel the repercussions for the remainder of their careers.

yeah, watching Arnt double-time it to get away before Callie got a chance to corner him was hilarious. Maybe we need to give a name to that walk, I have a feeling some others are going to be needing lessons from old Face when it comes time for their perp walk, maybe call it the Lookout Mountain Quick Step. I've thought of an appropriate song for them to do it to also since it could be Callie's song for the tenacity she's shown on on this story:

Ha ha, I had em all out there, Steppin' and fetchin'Like their heads were on fireAnd their asses was catchin'

I am appalled at the sniveling drivel and excuses that the three of you, Gregor, Arnt, and Franklin are giving.

You complain the media lost the case for you. This is partially true. For one, the jury was smarter than you them credit for. You lie in directly in front of everyone in the courtroom and expect to throw it right past them. Sorry, folks just aren’t that clueless.

It turns out that your right. The media did expose this case. You see, it wouldn’t have mattered if this was Tonya Craft or not. All that mattered is that someone with enough guts chose to fight all the way to the end to defend themselves against false charges. Had they not, how would any of us, the taxpayers of the State of Georgia, know if you were actually doing what we pay you for? How would we know if someone was abusing the trust we placed in them?

Now that you have effectively alienated trustworthy expert witnesses for future testimony in other trials, you’ll still be faced with trying cases with inept detectives and interviewers. You are all so stupid to believe people like Laurie Evans. Just plain stupid and gullible; you got taken.

Truthfully, I really think none of you realize what you were doing. You thought you were doing the right thing. That’s apparent from your interviews with the only media you’ll talk to, the ones who are satisfied with being puppets of the system, the ones who care about sensationalism that gets ratings. Why else would they have made the trek to Chickamauga to interview neighbors without checking facts and demanding that the school “deal” with Tonya Craft, instead of being responsible journalists?

You really think you were championing child victims. You have been totally deceived. You don’t even realize what right is. You can’t evaluate the difference.

When someone actually stood up drew the line, you were shocked. You found out that someone was not willing to accept your cowardly plea bargains under the guise of “sparing the children from a trial”. The plea bargain is the most over used and morally deceptive practice in the system today, and I am sure it is number one or two in your repertoire.

Assembly line justice has become the rule today, and you have no problem accepting that. None of the three of you can even discern how damaging it is. Some poor slob can’t who can’t afford a good defense is no match for you. They cave in most of the time, you get your conviction, and they get shafted.

You represent me, morons. We ARE the state. You represent us, and we entrust you to seek truth and justice as defined by the Constitution of The United States. We pay your salary, and yet you refuse to be trustworthy.

Perhaps when you started out, you did understand the difference between morality and legality. Just because some act or behavior is legally acceptable does NOT mean it is ethically acceptable.

If you had a solid case, as you say, don’t you think that the evidence would have been convincing enough? If you had a solid case, solid witnesses, solid ethics and behavior, don’t you think that would have been enough? The “evil” media and bloggers are to blame? IF you wre as good as you say are, then it would not have mattered. You might have even won the media support you were looking for.

Bringing a shaky case like this cost you. Acting like a fool in court cost you. Oh, and who really gives a crap about your Facebook pages, Chris and Len? You committed enough fouls in plain sight, that’s what bit you.

Please quit making excuses and whining about like children, running away from reporters who want the truth.

If I remember correctly you said that Mr. Echols was charged w/ interfering with a witness.

Now I assume after speaking w/ Mr. Echols there are specifics that you cannot share as it could hinder his defense.

But do you have an opinion as to the rationale the prosecution could possibly give for interviewing a witness regarding the case? I realize that the LMJD don't seem to bound themselves by any law - but is there a possible scenerio where a PI hired by the defense could be rightfully charged?

Amen, anon 6:48. The public trust and confidence in the judiciary and court process must not be abused. But in the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, it's not about the people, or what justice means, it's about where the money is.

Now a days, it seems the money is in destroying families, and we have a nearly 50% divorce rate. It's literally making our society crazy, there's so much incentive to it. There's a huge industry in Federal money for women to be single, without a husband. Between TANF, 500 dollars a month in food Stamps, and all the grants the Sheriff's Department brings in for Domestic violence and child abuse enforcement, busting up families is big business, good for the lawyers, and good for the local economy.

2) If arrested in Catoosa, then that would mean for sure that Lamb resides in Catoosa.

3) With #2 said, the out of city fee paid to Chickamauga City Schools is only (supposed to be), for Walker County residents.

4) With #2 & #3, is everyone seeing what is wrong with all of this?

5) If in fact she lives in Walker, but Echols was arrested in Catoosa, there is another huge problem.

Yes I firmly believe that Lamb already had them waiting for Echols at the SD & it makes me sick. What's more, is if she does in fact reside in CC & sends her kids to not only a separate county & then on top of that, a separate city school, then I just found her committing yet another crime.

Not sure if everyone knows this, but this is how it works.

Example: I live in Catoosa County which has 3 high schools. I am zoned for Ringgold. Say my child doesn't like Ringgold & wants to go to Heritage or Lakeview, well, you have 2 choices. 1) If the county grants it, you can pay the "out of zone" fee. (I will go ahead & fill you in, they don't do it. 99.9% of the time, this will not happen.) 2) You can get an affidavit signed by someone living in that "zone" that your child is living with them. Not only you, but the person signing it, are liable for this being a true statement. If it is found out to be untrue, then the system has a right to not only sue you, but to press criminal charges against you. I can't remember the exact amount punishable (in dollars & the maximum sentence), but from what I remember, it was quite a hefty sum & possible years in prison.

I'm just saying, it might be something for people to look further into. One way or another, Lamb will eat her words & pay for what she has done to destroy lives. I believe it will happen on Earth first. She has spread herself a little too thin on the lies & corruption. Btw, I'm not just looking at the school factor, I'm also looking at who would even have the jurisdiction to arrest Mr. Echols.

Lookout Spy, Yes, I read that over the weekend. Very disturbing. Also about Judge Kristin Graham (BLC's daughter) involved in a similar case to Tonya's with Gregor as prosecutor. Hmmm? Seems like all we need now is cases to come up with the other judges and we have a slam dunk to clean house in LMJC. Another couple of things I found out over the weekend. There is no statistical database I could find in GA about crime data broken down by offense and county. Begs an answer as to how CC gets their 98% conviction rate? Do they document this information by hand. Come on, guys, even the military went to computers for documenting statistics back in the eighties. I should know. I was part of the group that broke one of the first WAN's (wide area net) for the F-16 program as a (in plain english) statistical analyst for that program worldwide.

The ease with which federal money flows into places like this with almost no oversight makes me shake with fear. Do these people get paid by conviction for all the drug and child molestation trials? Is that driving our increased arrests and convictions? If so, there needs to be an audit because sending people to prison on manufactured evidence and through bullying tactics only makes for overturned sentences - and a waste of taxpayer money, money all of us hand those fools and tell them to do right.

That being said. I loved seeing 5/2" Callie chasing down those big, bad old prosecutors. They sure ran from her like she was a pit bull going after them. What are they afraid of? Stopping and answering the hard questions, admitting their errors will go further than adding more to the fuel they've already spilled all over this area. And what was Arnt doing in LaFayette? That was the old Messenger office he was in front of when he started quick stepping. Doesn't he work the Catoosa courts?

Thank you anon 8:05. This is something I will take up with Denia Reese & with the state superintendent. With everything that has gone on, it can be proven that she has committed perjury for the school purpose. Whoopsie Daisy Sandra, your hole just got a little deeper.

Btw, I do not want her kids in Catoosa County schools either, but there are more ways to skin a cat. Something will catch up with her & it doesn't matter which does first. I just want justice in every way and to show people that "money" (I do that in quotes because I believe these people are credit rich & not cash rich) does not make you above any law.

Ah, just read on Chickamauga City Schools website that they accept children from surrounding counties for a fee. Didn't know they started doing that. I had friends who bought property in Chickamauga a few years ago so their kids could go to Gordon Lee. So I guess they can legally go there.

One thing that bothered me though was their rather braggy 99% Caucasion statement. Wow. I guess diversity reigns there!

KC Sprayberry said..."...That being said. I loved seeing 5/2" Callie chasing down those big, bad old prosecutors. They sure ran from her like she was a pit bull going after them. What are they afraid of?."

On top of them already holding a deep disapproval for any truth reported, I have to presume that they heard from many friends, and maybe one or more others in higher positions, that the interview and fax was just plain stupid.

ABSTRACT: A false allegation of child sexual abuse requires a monumental response to overcome it. Suggestions are given for the innocent person who is accused. A recommended solution to the problem of false allegations is to require videotaping of all therapy sessions with children whenever the issue of sexual abuse arises and to change the immunity laws which protect incompetent therapists and social workers in these cases.

My advice to someone who is falsely accused of child sexual abuse is:

1. You will probably never convince your accusers that you are innocent. The accusation itself means permanent guilt to them. Do not waste your efforts by trying to persuade them you did not do it. They will not become your friends.

2. Don't overestimate the intelligence of your accusers. Someone who has the answer before knowing the question is bound to make a few mistakes in procedures along the way. Look for those mistakes. By all means look. Check all applicable procedural rules and regulations governing the various investigators and the investigation processes. Check all applicable standards of care. Check the educational backgrounds of professionals and find out the status of the degree granting institution. Some have been found to have degrees from diploma mills and to be essentially impostors. Others may be exceeding their competency in areas where they have had no training.

3. Take depositions of your accusers. Many have reasons for being in the profession — financial or their own background which may involve an abusive situation. Make sure that these reasons are not why you have been found to be an abuser.

4. Get the financial records of your accusers. Run credit checks. Find out what the financial interest is, what payments have been received, whether your accusers have filed any false financial claims with the state or anywhere else, such as double dipping with their medical insurance and the spouse who hired them. Get copies of insurance forms and check what diagnosis was used to get payment from a medical insurance policy. It may be different than that which is found in reports to the court.

5. Get the written publications authored by your accusers. It is possible that the professional accusing you is published in a journal. Look for brochures describing the sexual abuse assessment program or the facility. Look for local newspaper accounts of any speeches or addresses given to local groups. Use this information to establish whether the professional is biased or has a preconceived notion about guilt or the abilities of children in this area.

6. Don't let your accusers get away with claiming children never lie about sexual abuse." Focusing on this fallacy plays into your accusers' hands. A child who eventually complies with repeated suggestive and coercive questioning cannot be said to be lying. If a false allegation is the result of a deliberate fabrication in a custody dispute, it is not going to be the young child who is lying, but an adult. If the therapist knowingly goes along with this, it is the therapist who is being deceptive. If the therapist distorts what the child said because he or she is convinced that abuse really did take place but the child is reluctant to tell, the therapist still is lying.

DMK, this some of what i was trying to say in my earlair post. I hope some who come to this fine blog may need some thoughts. so from time to time I will enter some post to help these people. Hope that is Ok with you Bill, if not Let me and I'll remove it. I have been researching this for a year and have located some fine work from experts in the field.

Here's the thing about calling the NAACP/Jessie. I have no way of knowing Mr. Echols thoughts but I would assume a racial slur from the unstable Sandra Lamb would take a back seat to a professional business owner being arrested for carrying out that very business. From what I read, the arrest was not predicated on race. Echols could have been pink and they were going to arrest him to hinder the defense. That's what I would be hot about. Not some crazy-acting woman.

In my case, my wife's attorney hired a therapist and left these incriminating words on the telephone message taken by the secretary: "Keep interview with child confidential unless abuse can be found." This is an open invitation for a therapist to find abuse. Some therapists may find what is wanted for a variety of reasons, including financial gain, future referrals, or a belief that sexual abuse is rampant and probably happened in this case, regardless of what the child may say. Therefore, the issue is not whether a child is lying, it is whether the therapist is being deceptive, or telling half truths, or drawing unjustified conclusions. Be very suspicious of a therapist who resists taping the therapy sessions.

7. The falsely accused spouse, normally the father, should not wait for his lawyer to do all the work. Draw up a chronology of all events leading up to and following the accusation. Make a file on all the persons involved in the situation and get all the information you can on everybody. The key to an adequate and effective response is organization. So keep everything organized, tabulated, cross-indexed, and readily available for your use and your attorney's use. If you have a little money, hire a private detective to find out some background information on any of your accusers, such as how many marriages, whether your accuser has custody of minor children, whether the accuser in a divorce action gave testimony which was anti-male, anti-father, or showed a bias toward the mother in custody disputes.

8. My own lawyer doesn't agree with this approach, but I recommend filing an immediate malpractice lawsuit against any accusing therapist who has not conducted himself or herself in a professional manner. My lawyer believes this does not look good for the father. However, you must fight a false sexual abuse allegation immediately with all the strength you have. Making therapists nervous by being defendants as well as accusers is one way of making them behave more cautiously.

9. Don't trust your guardians ad litem. It is possible for one side in a divorce to try to influence guardians ad litem by providing names of "neutral therapists" when that side clearly knows such parties are not neutral. I do not trust the guardians ad litem to act to safeguard the best interest of the accused spouse and would only reluctantly accept any persons as authorities recommended by the guardians without having independent confirmation of the therapists' credentials.

10. Always remember that the child abuse industry is an industry and many of the people working in it are closely connected and know each other. Professionals most often refer clients to other professionals they at least know. It is possible for your children to be taken to therapist A, and therapist B, and therapist C, and therapist D, all of whom have professional, social, and economic ties to each other. Also, in many areas there may well be a formal or informal approved list of professionals established by the county or child protection system or the prosecutors. Most often this approved list includes those professionals who agree with the system and are most likely not sympathetic to the situation of a person accused of sexual abuse.

Work up a poster board and connect the therapists hired by the opposing spouse to each other in terms of professional, social, fraternal, ideological, or economic ties. You may well be surprised in most cases. For those of you who remember the movie, Rosemary's Baby ()()()(), recall that Mia Farrow tried to turn to husband, friend, another friend, and another friend for advice only to eventually find out that all were connected to each other within the same witches' coven. If your spouse proposes that the children go to see therapists A, B, C, and D, assume that these therapists all know each other, have ties with each other, and will all give the same answer — that the father should not have custody of the children.

11. Prepare some material on false allegations to show to the court or jury. Stack up books and articles on false allegations in front of each therapist who attacks you in court and ask how many of these books that therapist has read. Most of these therapists only read pro-mother and pro-conviction literature. Try to drag it out of them that they are truly biased and do not read any of the pro-father and false-abuse-allegation materials. There is a lot around now and you can use it effectively to show the bias of the accusers.

12. When searching for the truth, the court will trust persons with medical degrees or advanced graduate degrees more than it will trust therapists or social workers with simple B.A. degrees in related and nonrelated fields. Those persons who are medically trained, including clinical psychologists, appear to be more hesitant to draw life-changing conclusions than are some mental health workers. In my case, our children were seen by six medical doctors at one time or another during the course of our two-year divorce. Not one medical doctor ever concluded that there was or had ever been any sexual abuse of either child by either parent.

However, the therapists retained by my former wife reached opposite conclusions without having interviewed me or anyone associated with me. As far as the state social workers were concerned they were even less reliable than the therapists. One social worker concluded that abuse was going on after a 10-minute interview with the children. In court, this social worker, who had a degree in political science, admitted that he had only seen one child and only for 10 minutes in his entire lifetime. Yet he was able to reach a conclusion with regard to abuse in a single 10-minute session. Another social worker took 30 minutes, part of the time spent with the child on the mother's lap.

When the case eventually reached court, the opinions of the therapists and the social workers were given virtually no weight by the trial court judge due to their non-credible testimony and methods of operation and diagnosis. The conclusions of medically educated persons, including two psychiatrists, were carefully considered by the court and given more weight in the court's final determination. Therefore avoid social workers and therapists and find intelligent physicians and clinical psychologists whose opinions will be respected by the court. If you search out therapists then search for those who are qualified and will come into court with a well-defined protocol and without any historical bias clearly favoring one side or the other in dissolution actions. If the interviews with our children by the social workers and the therapists had been videotaped for the court to review, the testimony of these persons would probably have received even less weight than it did. Have your own experts videotape their sessions with your children. That way the court will be able to see the child say "No" when asked if the parent does "bad touching" without having to interview the child directly, which most judges will not do.

tplas, we are on the same page, just wanted to clarify!! I so agree about too many parents today wanting to be their child's friend and also thinking their child can do no wrong!! As to your questions, I too wonder why nothing has been done about either the mother who whipped her child or the step-mother showering with her step-child??

Anon. 8:37, does it seriously say 99% Caucasion?? How on earth can they get away with saying that? I don't like political correctness, but that is wrong on so many levels. My goodness this is 2010, not 1950. How can they get state funds when they have that on their website, after all they are public schools, even though they like to act like they are private. Maybe, letters also need to be sent to the State Superintendent of Schools.

13. Hire a good attorney and be truthful with him from start to finish. When my divorce began, and I had to respond to my former wife's petition, I was in a strange court in a strange town 150 miles away from where I lived. My former wife had selected the forum and she selected it 150 miles away from where our primary residence was at the time of the divorce. With some phone calls I located a highly respected attorney who agreed to represent me. At the first meeting I gave him a retainer and told him two things: (1) I will never lie to you and (2) there are no skeletons in my closet. I also told him that he would be in charge of the case and I would follow his advice, even though I might have my own opinions from time to time. Twenty-six months later, after I had been through the worst experience of my lifetime, my attorney and I were able to hear the judge's words awarding me custody of the children. During the course of those 26 months my attorney had to stick his neck out many times and had to go before the judge on many motions, but he did so knowing that I was not lying. I felt vindicated and I believe my attorney felt proud. In these same 26 months my former wife had four different attorneys. My total legal fees were less than my former wife's. Find a good attorney by asking around, don't tell any lies or conceal any facts, and follow your attorney's advice. In my case, my attorney was all that a client could ever hope for; he represented me like I was his brother.

Conclusions

Being accused of sexually abusing your children is an overwhelming experience and requires full commitment of your resources to fight it. Some changes in the way these cases are handled would go a long way towards reducing the number of false allegations. We need to have all sessions with children videotaped from start to finish whenever the issue of sexual abuse arises and we should remove immunity laws and encourage malpractice lawsuits against the do-gooders who have done bad. All of the people accusing you will claim to do so "in the name of the children and their best interest" and in the name of "doing good." I think Will Rogers said it best when he said, "Dear Lord, protect me from the do-gooders." Trying to "do good" is no good if one is not also looking for the truth.

anon 9:08, it really does say that. I was quite dumbfounded, so I read it 5 more times. Then I opened it back up, read it again & saved it. Just in case the trolls decide to let them know to take it down. It just seemed silly to even have it on there. Of course, we know what they meant by stating that. Oh well, small minds.

I am very interested in EE's case and if he were to be in court tomorrow, I'd show up wearing yellow. I would LOVE to see all the support for Tonya flow over to his case as well. That being said, it is HIS case. Google him and take a look at his website. He certainly seems to be an accomplished and sucessful professional business man. He may not want Jesse involved or the NAACP for that matter. Those choices are his to make. For all we know he could be -gasp- an African American Republican!

I'm not a big defender of the Chickamauga City School system as I find it more backwoods and incestuous as any I have ever seen. However, the statement about 99% Caucasian isn't racist. It's just a fact. That is their racial makeup. I'm not saying that people of all races are welcomed with open arms as they certainly are not. I'm just saying that that particular statement isn't a racist statement.

Secondly, the reason people buy property in the city limits of Chickamauga is to ensure that their children get into the school system, not because they can't get into it from Catoosa County. It is not illegal to send kids to Chickamauga from outside of Walker County and it NEVER HAS BEEN. However, the only way to be sure that someone gets into the school system is to live in the city limits. If you live outside the city limits...and it doesn't matter what county...you almost have to know someone to get your kid into the elementary school. That, in and of itself, is part of the problem with the system. It isn't how good you are, it is just who you know.

I have been thinking about something Anon@7:07 said regarding Sandra Lamb

She has spread herself a little too thin on the lies & corruption.

I think that was an excellent choice of words that perfectly sums up the whole Tonya Craft Saga. We've talked here about the "Big Lie" strategy as used by Goebbels and the Nazis and how sadly telling a huge lie and sticking to it has often proven to be effective, at least for a time. But what has happened here is that all the key players on the side lined up against Tonya have told so many lies, that they have in fact spread themselves too thin. That especially holds true for Lamb, Henke, Arnt, and Gregor. With so many of their lies, or loose threads you might say, dangling out there it just takes pulling on a couple of them to completely unravel the wool they were trying to pull over everyone's eyes.

I think the situation with Mr. Echols is much the same if indeed the charges don't get quietly dropped after someone's survival instincts kick in enough they finally comes to their senses. By continuing to double down after doubling down after doubling down, the LMJC boys just keep spreading themselves thinner and thinner and what once was a tightly woven fabric of lies and deceit is suddenly become very threadbare and transparent.

OK JUST WATCHED FOX NEWS AAT 10 AND IT LOOKS LIKE LMJC IS TRYING TO REDEEM THEMSELVES WITH A LITTLE MOBILE METH LAB BUST-BULLSHIT! OF COURSE THEY THINK WE ARE ALL BUMPKINS FROM SMALL TOWN CATOOSA COUNTY-LET ME TELL "YALL" THIS AINT MY FIRST RODEO. ARE YOU GETTIN A LITTLE NERVOUS? YOU BETTER BE CAUSE YALL ARE GOIN DOWN LIKE THE TITANIC. OH AND FOR THE PEOPLE MAKING STATEMENTS ABOUT CRUELLA LAMB'S KIDS GOING TO SCHOOL OUT OF ZONE, PLEASE DON'T GIVE THEM ANY IDEAS BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT THEM IN RINGGOLD, HERITAGE OR LAKEVIEW! OH I FORGOT THE BOYD'S, MCDONALD'S, WILSON'S TOO!

Holy crapola! 99% caucasian? This is in the SOUTH, right? I live and teach in Utah and even in Utah, were African Americans were preached by the mormon church to be inhabited by demons and could only enter heaven as servents up until the 1970s, there are more than 1% non-white students. I mean, not a single black person would ever move to Utah if they knew ahead of time what it would be like here, but there are at least some Asian and Latin members of the community that make up AT LEAST 10% of the population. Even parts of West Virginia, where slavery never really made inroads, still has SOME African Americans.

Then again, after watching news reports, I can't recall seeing any Black members of the community being interviewed during or after the trial, with the exception of Andrae McGary, and that was on Channel Slime of all places.

You know, I'm lacking a bit of the information/background on Sandra Lamb but I have gathered enough to say this: that backwoods, low-life, trashy, witch struck a United States Marine and insulted his race and heritage because she was angry. She should be charged with a hate crime because she prefaced her physical attack with racial comments. The Catoosa County Sheriff Deputy should be charged as a party to a hate crime. But most importantly, Sandra Lamb should thank God that he takes care of idiots because she hit a UNITED STATES MARINE and lived another day(much to the dismay of many).

I'm not a big supporter of hate crime legislation, because all crime is in fact committed out of hate. Nobody stomps in a person't face because they love them--at least nobody who's not a psychopath. When a black man hits a white man, treat it as an assault. When a white woman gets into a cat fight, get out the video camera and post it on youtube, but don't make it a hate crime. Yet, I do agree with hate crimes solely in the case where it is shown that the only reason for the assault was a racial, sexual orientation, or other "difference based" motivation to do harm not just to the person as an individual but to the person as a representative of that group, then the hate crime modification should be attached. If I get into a fight, and beat up the guy, and whether or not I know he's gay, if my reason for fighting him is something other than his sexuality, say he stole or broke something of mine, or he insulted me, then no hate crime should be charged, because I was not hitting him as a means of taking out my hatred for his group.

So, while one may technically argue that a hate crime took place, before we condemn Lamb on that item, we need to know whether her motive for hitting him was because of his skin color or because she was mad that he was working for her nemesis, Tonya Craft. The "black bastard" comment is telling about her sentimentalities, but not necessarily indicative of her motivation for violence.

9:51, so you really don't believe that was a racial statement? I did a little research and not one single other local school system put their racial make-up on there website. I think it says a lot. Not even the private schools do that. In that particular paragraph, it is a beckoning to bring in students, so putting that little tidbit is odd unless it is to say, "hey, we only have 2 kids who aren't white in our schools!" I don't care about Chickamauga Schools, but I do care about presentation of this area. It's bad enough that we never have anything good come out of here, but just looking at that made me kind of ill. It is quite blatant. We can agree to disagree.

I don't know, maybe it is a racist statement if you don't already know how things are done in Chickamauga. Since I do, I just view it as a statement of fact. The bottom line is that African Americans do not go to Chickamauga City Schools. I just assumed that everybody in the north Georgia area knew that. I mean, look how close Wallaceville is to Chickamauga. How many of those kids ever attempt to go to Gordon Lee? None. If you were black, would you want to go there? The same things goes for Hispanic kids.

As for the church thing, how do you know that the church leadership HASN'T spoken to her? After all, the Bible tells us what to do when we have an issue with someone and it doesn't include calling them down publicly. Perhaps the church leadership has or is getting ready to talk to Ms. Boyd. I'd think the benefit of the doubt is in order. Oakwood is a great church full of loving people and led by a wonderful pastor.

I just want to say that my children go to Chickamauga City Schools. I have children in CES right now. I am a graduate of Gordon Lee. We all love our school. As always there are a few bad apples in every bunch. This happens in every school system. Tonya was a wonderful teacher and Mrs. Bradley has been a great principal. She has always taken care of every problem we have had. There are some African American children that are attending CES and they have since kindergarten. There are also a few hispanic children that attend also. I don't want to ruffle in feathers but just thought I would let everyone know.

10:02, I live in Ringgold, but had no idea about the school system. That is why I read it several times & wondered why the significance. Then I went to the other local school system's sites & saw nothing about the racial make-up & also looked at McCallie, Baylor, GPS & Chattanooga Christian, all again without anything. You may wonder why I don't know a great deal about Chickamauga & live so close. Well, I do not spend any time there. I have no reason. Heck, I've never heard of Wallaceville. I guess you could say I'm an interstate girl. I'm from Detroit (lived within a mile of 75), moved to Chattanooga (lived within 2 miles of 24), moved to Ringgold (within a mile of 75), moved to New Orleans (within 2 miles of I-10) and back to Ringgold (now around 1/2 mile from 75), so unless you count when I was in high school (ah-hem 20 years ago...lol), the only time I went there was for ball games. Anyhoo, so where I was sitting & I would say anyone not from there or who doesn't spend any time there, probably looked at it the same way I did. I'm not saying anything about the schools, as I do not have a horse in that race, it just stood out.

I know nothing either about the church situation. I have friends who go to Oakwood, but they have different "campuses", so they do not go to the one the Boyd's do. I will say, as a Christian, I do hope the pastor or some other leadership has a conversation with them. It helps people a lot & if they are true Christians (meaning the Boyd's), they will take anything like that to heart. I do not know the people, but we do have mutual friends, and they have expressed concerns to me regarding their behavior. Not just the wife, but the husband also. I think a lot people's concerns have to do with the hypocrisy. I gave my advice, which was to talk to them & let them know the concerns, but they were kind of afraid to. My 2nd bit of advice was, well, they don't sound like people I would want to be friends with then. I'm not afraid of my friends & do not associate with people I fear.

Y'all that don't know nothing about glhs need to shit up. I'm a student And we don't bully the blacks as a matter a fact we hang out whith some from ridgeland they leave gordon lee cause they are a black dot on a white sheet of paper so they feel akward

Where is Al Sharpton when we need him?? Can't someone "slip" a copy of that tape to him and the NAACP along with Sandra Lamb's address?? A little dose of reality would do that woman a WORLD of good. She better learn how to live on her own because her kingdom is crumbling around her and I think/hope she finds herself not welcome in N. Ga very soon.

I personally think that Sandra Lamb should be held accountable for her attack on Mr Echols, as well as her death threat towards Tonya when she was aquitted, but like a earlier poster, I think the hate crime statue is insane. I have said many times that all crime is hate crime. You don't commit crime against people you love. Murder is Murder, Assault is assault, etc. The sentencing should be the same.Another thing... The last thing we need is the Revs (Where's his church) Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson being involved. They serve no purpose but their own, and to them everything done is racially motivated. I group them right up there with Louis Farrakhan. They are radical, racist, self serving extremist, and don't deserve any mike time at all. THEY HATE WHITE PEOPLE, PERIOD!!! Jesse might have been Martin Luther King's right hand man during the 60's, but I would be willing to bet King would not have a whole lot to do with him if her were alive today. King preached peace, not radicalism, and that is what they stand for.Sandra Lamb needs to be charged and tried on the merits alone. IT WOULD BE ENOUGH!!!

I don't know where Anon 10:44 is coming from, but I don't recall seeing anywhere on here where we talked about black students being harassed by fellow students. On the contrary, we have been discussing the outrageousness of having a school system in the South that has so few students of color (black, latin, asian, indian, native american, arab, former soviet block).

As for hate crimes, I think that we need not a law that says it's EXTRA illegal for me to beat someone up for being black or gay. What we do need is equal protection, equal enforcement. If someone is beaten up because they are gay, and the police let the perp off because they don't like gays, then the police should be held liable in a civil suit. If the police and DA do their jobs, when a kid is beaten up for being Mexican, the people who did that go to jail for the actual time prescribed in the law, no more, no less.

The point of hate crime legislation is to deter people from committing crimes against someone as a representative of a group. That is something that is virtually impossible to determine, because all the attacker has to say is, "I didn't like the way he looked at my girlfriend, I didn't care that he was Jewish." Rather than use the law to deter, we should use other ways to educate people about how they can accept others' differences. I don't necessarilly want to be gay or accept every aspect of homosexuality. But, I know that most gays are good people who just want to live their lives much the same way as I do, with maybe a little more hair product...LOL. Honestly, I think that we do more to help each other by beng able to laugh at ourselves and laugh at our differences and our similarities and everything in general than we do by trying to punnish everything.

About Me

I teach economics at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland. We are located on the Allegheny Plateau, and we have cool summers and tough winters.
I am the father of five children, four of them adopted from overseas, and the husband of a beautiful wife. I have two grandchildren. My family and I are members of Faith Presbyterian Church (PCA).